20 held in garda drugs operation

UP TO 20 men and women were arrested yesterday in a major garda anti-drugs operation in Limerick city and county.

Code-named Operation Kelso, it resulted from a six-month covert operation headed by the regional drugs squad under Detective Sergeant Alan Cullen.

The operation targeted an organised drugs distribution network centred in Limerick, which supplies towns throughout Munster and the west.

Members of the National Drugs Unit also took part in yesterday’s huge operation.

Most of the arrests were made in the city.

Gardaí are confident that the number of arrests will rise to more than 40 over coming days as the operating is widened.

As part of the operation, gardaí in Newcastle West arrested three men in their 20s after intercepting a van earlier yesterday and seizing an unspecified quantity of drugs.

In recent months gardaí have struck major blows to the McCarthy-Dundon drugs network and a number of key gang members are in custody.

Various quantities of drugs discovered during yesterday’s raids have been sent to the garda forensic section in Dublin to be valued.

A garda spokesman said that many of those arrested yesterday face multiple charges.